10 bodies found in Mexico well

SEARCHERS have pulled 10 bodies from a well in northern Mexico, near the site where 20 members of a Colombian-style music group and its crew disappeared late last week, a state forensic official says.

It was hard to determine how many more bodies were submersed in the water, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Nuevo Leon state governor Rodrigo Medina earlier on Monday told a local television station, "We have evidence that indicates that (the bodies) may very well be the members of this band," though he said experts were still working to identify them.

The bodies recovered showed signs of torture, the official said.

Sixteen members of the band Kombo Kolombia and four crew members were reported missing early on Friday after playing at a private party held at a ranch called La Carreta, or The Wagon, in the town of Hidalgo north of Monterrey.

The forensic official said authorities had been searching for two days when they came upon the well on Sunday along a dirt road in the town of Mina, about 225 kilometres from Laredo, Texas.

People living near the ranch in Hidalgo reported hearing gunshots about 4am local time on Friday, followed by the sound of vehicles speeding away, said a separate source with the Nuevo Leon State Investigative Agency. He also spoke on condition of anonymity.

The officials added that gunfire is common in the area and said investigators found spent bullets nearby.

Relatives filed a missing persons report on Friday after losing mobile phone contact with the musicians. When they went to the ranch to investigate, they found the band members' vehicles still parked outside.